Sunday, November 19, 2017

Let each of you look not to his own interests, but to the interests of others.                
                                                                                                                                    Philippians 2:4
       In the prayers which we said in church today, some words struck me: “…. all who long to hear a word of hope and kindness.”  Suddenly, I pictured those who are lonely and forlorn, people with longings we don’t see as we hurry about our busy lives; longings for things as simple as hope and kindness.  Perhaps the longing is felt by a widower in the congregation.  A neighbor whose family lives far away.  The teenager who feels lost at a con-fusing time in life.  The person in a nursing home who never – never – gets a visitor.  
         If we can’t actually visit these people, we can call.  We can send a note.  We can pause for a moment to talk to someone.  “Lord, open my eyes to see the longing in others – not just their wants and wishes, but their longings.  Then help me to respond.”
©Carol Dean Henn, 2017